The Sadie Family Wines Columella 2016 Swartland

Syrah; Mourvèdre; Tinta Barocca; Cinsaut; Carignan; Grenache

A Rhône style blend, with a taste of Portugal in the mix!

Most of the grapes are sourced from low yielding, old vine parcels on a variety of soil types, but Eben Sadie's selection criteria is fruit quality, so grapes from some newer vineyards are included. Fruit is meticulously hand sorted, with a significant proportion discarded because it is not of optimum quality. Fermentation is with natural yeasts. The wine is matured on the lees for over 1 year in used oak vessels before bottling without filtering or fermentation.

Eben Sadie established Sadie Family Wines in 1999, having spent the previous 8 years travelling the world learning from distinguished winemakers. The first wine he produced, Columella 2000, a Syrah based blend, was awarded 5 stars by the renowned Platters Guide. The quality of the wine and attention to detail has been maintained as the product range has expanded. Purity of the expression of fruit and terroir is the defining character of Sadie wines. This requires meticulous attention in the vineyard, to produce low yields of the highest quality fruit and in the winery, where grapes from individual plots are processed separately with minimal intervention.